


The Cat Who Came In From The Cold

by heyjupiter



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics), Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Cats, Christmas Fluff, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 03:03:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5568319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liho needs a daily dose of medicine. Natasha needs a catsitter. Remy LeBeau needs something to do. They'll all have a merry Christmas, eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cat Who Came In From The Cold

**Author's Note:**

> I've been feeling very pandered to by all the cats in Marvel comics lately.

Natasha hated animals, and she hated asking for favors. And yet here she was: preparing to ask for a favor on behalf of a cat. (Of course, it wasn't really _asking_ for a favor so much as cashing in a debt owed; still, Natasha preferred to save those for when she might really need them.) 

She was annoyed at Isaiah for visiting his family over the holidays; at Liho for needing surgery, and most of all, at herself, both for taking a job in late December and for allowing herself to get entangled with such a ridiculous animal. She glowered at Liho, who looked truly pathetic beneath her plastic cone, and placed a call. 

Kate answered after two rings. "Hello?"

"Hey Kate. It's Natasha."

"I know, I have caller ID, like everyone. Is everything okay?"

"Sure, fine. I--" Natasha took a breath and forced herself to say it. "I know you used to petsit for Clint, sometimes, and I was wondering if you'd be able to check in on a cat?"

"I didn't know you had a cat!"

"I don't. Not exactly. But… well, this cat, she had surgery recently, and so she's supposed to get medicine with her food every day, but I've got to leave town."

"Aww, poor kitty. Town is New York?"

"Town is New York," Natasha confirmed.

"Sorry Natasha, I totally would, but I'm visiting my sister. Maybe try Carol."

"Carol?"

"Carol Danvers. You know her, right? I heard she was back in town, and I know she's got a cat. Well, or something?" 

"Thanks," Natasha said. She did seem to recall Carol having a cat, but she wondered at Kate's "or something."

"Hey, tell Clint he's a loser, and pet his dog for me, if you see him." 

"Sure," Natasha said, not mentioning that Clint and Lucky were back in Iowa for the holidays. "Bye." She ended the call. Liho mewed pitifully. "Don't worry, I'll find someone," Natasha said. She put her hand inside of Liho's ridiculous cone and allowed the cat to rub her head against Natasha's hand.

Natasha dialed Carol's number. A child answered, "Hello?" There was a lot of background noise. It sounded like she was at a park, maybe. Natasha briefly wondered if Carol's phone had been stolen.

Cautiously, she asked, "Hello. Is Carol available?"

"It depends."

"Depends on what?" Natasha asked. 

In the background she heard Carol say, "Lieutenant, is that my phone? Who are you talking to?" She heard laughter and then Carol said, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Carol, it's Natasha. Who was that?"

Carol laughed. "A young friend." Natasha heard the child protest in the background, and Carol added, "Yes, sorry, she's also my lieutenant. What's going on?"

"Well," Natasha said. "I heard you have some experience with feline maintenance…"

"Apparently, what I have experience with is Flerken maintenance."

"I'm sorry?"

"Ah, it's a long story. But yes, I am familiar with cats and similar creatures. Why do you ask?"

"I have this cat, I just got her fixed, but there were some complications, and she's supposed to get antibiotics every day, but I've got to go out of town unexpectedly. You know how it is. So I was wondering…"

"Poor kitty," Carol said sympathetically. "I'd love to help, but I'm not in the city right now."

"We're at Disney!" the child called from the background.

"We are, indeed, at Disney," Carol agreed. 

"Oh," Natasha said. 

Carol said, "This time of year, I'd bet most of the good kennels will be full, but… there is someone you could try."

"Kate's out of town, too," Natasha said.

"No, not Kate…" Carol said. Her tone made Natasha nervous. "You know Remy LeBeau, right? Gambit? From the X-Men?"

"... We've met," Natasha said.

"Yeah. I know. _I know_ ," Carol said, sheepishly. "But, the thing is… well, Wolverine recommended him, and it turns out he's actually really good with cats? Even--well, it was an _extreme emergency_ when I left Chewie with him, and, Chewie is--"

"Chewie is mean!" the child called behind Carol.

"Chewie's not mean! Chewie's just… well, anyway, seriously… I'd give him a call. Do you need his number?"

"I have it. Thank you. Enjoy... Disney."

Carol laughed. "I'll do my best. Bye!"

Natasha stared at her cat, then at her phone. "What's the worst that would happen if you missed a few doses of your medicine, huh, Liho?"

Liho stared back at Natasha and tried fruitlessly to remove her cone with a paw. 

"I can't stay mad at you. You're too pathetic," Natasha said. She gritted her teeth and made another phone call. It went to voicemail--" _Allo,_ you have the fortune of reaching Remy LeBeau, but alas, I am too busy to take your call. _Beep_ " 

Natasha hung up without leaving a message. He was probably in bed with someone. Anyway, she couldn't ask for a favor from someone she could barely stand over a voicemail. She decided to start calling more kennels--it was New York, there had to be _somewhere_ with a spot open that would take reasonably good care of Liho--when her phone rang. It was Remy.

"This is Natasha," she said.

" _Natasha_! So sorry I missed your call. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Natasha paused for a moment, and in the silence, she could swear she heard a cat purring. And it wasn't Liho. She said, "It's short notice, but I was wondering… if you might be able to do me a favor?"

"Of course. You need something… unofficially acquired? Gambit can help you out."

"No, no, not that." Natasha was offended at his presumption. If Natasha needed something stolen, she'd do it herself. "I heard you have cats?"

"What do you want with my cats?" Remy asked. His tone had changed--it was less smarmy. More protective.

"Nothing, but--I've got to leave town soon, and I need someone to check on my cat?"

" _You_ have a cat?" He sounded delighted.

"I… I suppose I do, yes," Natasha admitted. "I just got her fixed, but it got infected, and she needs to take her antibiotics every day, so I can't just--"

"Ah, yes, of course," Remy said. "You're in New York?"

"Yes. Are you in Westchester? I'll pay for--"

"It's no trouble. I'm in the city, too… I keep an apartment here. Most everybody at the school went home for the holidays."

"Ah," Natasha said. She didn't ask why Remy wasn't staying at the school, or why he wasn't going home; those things, she understood without needing details. "Well, I think it should only take a few days, but I can't make any guarantees."

"It's no problem. I don't have to return to the school until the next term starts in a few weeks. I'm as free as a bird."

Natasha hesitated and reminded herself that not only was he an X-Man, but Carol had vouched for him, before telling him details of her apartment and of Liho's needs.

"I look forward to seeing if Liho is as lovely as you are, chere," Remy said, his tone grating.

"You know I could kill you, right?"

Remy laughed. "Ah, but then who would feed your cat?"

Natasha sighed. "I do appreciate this. I'll... owe you one."

"It's my pleasure. I like to stay busy." 

Natasha hung up on him and scrawled a hasty note reiterating Liho's medical and nutritional needs. Then she grabbed her go-bag, gave Liho one last scratch behind the ears, stashed her spare key, and met her transport right on time.

She ran into unexpected complications in Madripoor and took five days to complete her mission. But she did it, of course, and stumbled home in the early afternoon. Jet lagged and exhausted, she was still the Black Widow, and she surveyed her apartment before unlocking the door. There were sounds coming from inside her apartment. She hesitated in the doorway with her hand on her gun for a moment before recognizing it as television. She silently opened the door and found Remy LeBeau sitting on her sofa with Liho curled on his lap. 

He looked up at her with a smile. "Ah, Natasha! Welcome home, and merry Christmas."

"How's Liho?" Natasha asked. After completing her mission, she had lost track of time zones and days and hadn't realized it was Christmas, although it did explain why so many businesses she'd passed had been closed.

"Asleep," Remy said, nodding down at his lap. "I hope you don't mind my making myself at home--she fell asleep and I could not bear to wake her."

Natasha snorted. "She's got you wrapped around her little paw."

Remy smiled. "I took her cone off yesterday. The stitches are healed. She was very, very happy. But she missed you, I think."

"Doubtful," Natasha said. She set down her bag at her feet and fished out a bottle of Madripoorean whisky. She handed it to Remy. She hadn't known what to get a catsitter for a gift, but she trusted alcohol wouldn't go undrunk by Remy LeBeau. "Here. Thank you."

Remy accepted it with a nod. "Madripoor, eh? I trust everything went well?"

"I survived."

"Yes, very well, then. But I am sure you must be tired after your travels--I'll leave you here with Liho."

Natasha surprised herself by shrugging. "If you're both comfortable where you are, you can stay."

Remy raised his eyebrows. She'd surprised him, too. "All right. Would you like a drink?" He held up the bottle she'd brought. 

Natasha smiled and got two glasses. On the kitchen table, she noticed a few pieces of mail, including a postcard from Disney World. She flipped it over and saw a crayon drawing of two cats that Natasha assumed was from Carol's young lieutenant. Natasha smiled at it. Then she surveyed the rest of her kitchen and called, "I don't have anything to mix it with." She didn't have much of anything in her kitchen.

"Not necessary," Remy called back. 

Natasha returned to the living room, where she poured two generous glasses and passed one to him. 

"Schastlivogo Rozhdestva," she said, raising her glass.

"Joyeux Noël," Remy said, clinking his to hers.

"Meow," said Liho. She opened her eyes and sauntered over from Remy's lap to Natasha's.

Natasha smiled and stroked Liho with her free hand. 

"You see? She missed you," Remy said. 

"Maybe," Natasha allowed, looking down at her lap. 

"Would you like to see pictures of my cats?" Remy asked. "They are _very_ cute." He handed over his phone before she could answer. 

She flipped through pictures of his cats warily, unsure of what kinds of photos she might find on Remy LeBeau's phone. 

He glanced at her and laughed. "Oh, chere, don't worry. My selfies are in a different album. But you can look at them if you would like."

Natasha snorted as she saw a small familiar face in his cat album. "You took pictures of Liho?"

"I was going to send them to you, and then I thought perhaps it would compromise your mission."

"I know what my cat looks like."

"Of course, but I thought you might miss her."

Natasha was uncomfortable admitting that she had, in fact, missed Liho, so she threw the phone back to him. "They are cute. If you ever need someone to look after them, let me know. I owe you one."

"I will keep that in mind," Remy said with an easy smile. Natasha supposed he could probably leave his cats at the Xavier school, but she hoped he would call her. She so hated to leave a debt unpaid.

Out of cat-related small talk, they drank and watched the movie Remy had chosen. "That Red Ryder air rifle doesn't look like a very practical weapon," Natasha said. "His parents are right not to buy it."

Remy turned to look at her. "Have you not seen this before?"

"No," Natasha said. His tone implied that she should should have seen it, and she made a mental note to investigate. She'd grown up with certain pieces of American culture, and she'd worked to bring herself up to speed as an adult, but there were certainly gaps in her knowledge base.

He smiled. "You might be the last person in America! But, I will say no more."

After several minutes, Natasha asked, "You like this movie?"

Remy shrugged. "I suppose it is tradition to watch it. They're probably watching it at the mansion right now."

"Ah," Natasha said. But it was not her tradition, and she was exhausted. At some point, she must have fallen asleep. She woke up to Liho yowling. It was past her dinner time. Natasha looked around, disoriented--it wasn't like her to have let her guard down like that, but she'd been so tired. 

Remy was gone, but the movie didn't seem to have progressed very far. She fed Liho, and then noticed a playing card on the coffee table. The Queen of Hearts. She rolled her eyes and flipped it over. Scrawled on the back of it was: "Bonsoir, hope you slept well. Don't worry--they show this movie on repeat all day, you can catch up on what you missed. Let me know if you'll be available on New Year's Eve, I may have need of a catsitter. - R"

Natasha shook her head and scolded Liho. "Look what you've gotten me into." Liho rubbed against her legs, completely unapologetic. Typical.


End file.
